Synthesis of borosilicate zeotypes by steam-assisted conversion method

Abstract

Intermediate pentasil borosilicate zeolite-like materials have been crystallized by a novel method named steam-assisted conversion, which involves vapor-phase transport of water. Indeed, amorphous powders obtained by drying Na2 O.SiO2.B2 O3.TBA2O gels of various compositions using different boron sources are transformed into crystalline borosilicate zeolite belonging to pentasil family structure by contact with vapors of water under hydrothermal conditions. Using a variant of this method, a new material which has an intermediate structure of MFI/MEL in the ratio 90:10 was crystallized. The results show that steam and sufficiently high pH in the reacting hydrous solid are necessary for the crystallization to proceed. Characterization of the products shows some specific structural aspects which may have its unique catalytic properties. X-ray diffraction patterns of these microporous crystalline borosilicates are subjected to investigation, then, it is shown that the product structure has good crystallinity and is interpreted in terms of regular stacking of pentasil layers correlated by inversion centers (MFI structure) but interrupted by faults consisting of mirror-related layers (MEL structure). The products are also characterized by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K that shows higher microporous volume (0.160 cc/g) than that of pure MFI phase (0.119 cc/g). The obtained materials revealed high surface area (∼600 m2/g). The infrared spectrum reveals the presence of an absorption band at 900.75 cm-1 indicating the incorporation of boron in tetrahedral sites in the silicate matrix of the crystalline phase.